Roster rundown: Bears invested in tight ends in 2017 but didn't get needed production

The Bears made a clear move to emphasize tight ends last offseason when they bucked up for Dion Sims to sign him away from the Dolphins in free agency and then invested a second-round pick in Adam Shaheen, choosing him 45th overall after trading back from No. 36.

What was interesting is the Bears paid Sims $18 million over three years with $10 million guaranteed, establishing a new bar in the marketplace for tight ends that generally are considered to be blockers. The devil is in the details and it’s important to note that $4 million of that $10 million guarantee does not kick in until March 16, the third day of the league year. Sims has a base salary of $6 million for 2018 and two-thirds of that becomes fully guaranteed then. So a decision on Sims needs to be made in the next five weeks or so and it’s possible, I don’t know how likely, he winds up walking away with only $6 million from the 2017 season.

Shaheen became the highest drafted tight end for the Bears since Greg Olsen was a first-round pick in 2007, and only the second tight end the organization has selected in the first two rounds in two decades. The Bears made a leap in drafting a player from Division II Ashland and the adjustment to a significantly higher level of play was a process.

Zach Miller returned as a pass-catching threat before he was lost to a horrific injury. Miller suffered a dislocated left knee and he tore the popliteal artery behind the knee, which created an emergency situation for doctors to save his leg. For the popular 33-year-old who has been prone to injuries, it’s likely the end of the line

2017 season review: The Bears billed Sims as a player who could be more involved in the passing game than he had been with the Dolphins but that never really materialized, probably for a variety of reasons. The offense probably leaned on him more to block than maybe the Bears expected but it’s not like he stayed in to help the offensive tackles that often. Sims, who missed two games because of an illness, caught only 15 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown after setting a career-high of 26 catches and four touchdowns in 2016 for the Dolphins. He was targeted only 29 times and had a season-high five in the Oct. 29 loss at New Orleans. Sims was targeted three times or more in only three games and had one or no targets in seven games while far and away leading the position with 580 offensive snaps (58.7 percent). Sims has the athletic ability and frame to challenge linebackers in the passing game but things surely didn’t materialize. One scout from another team asked for his thoughts on Sims and if he fit for the Bears moving forward didn’t think it was necessarily a bad deal. He thought Sims’ presence on the field created a challenge for opponents because he’s athletic enough to be used in the passing game and it’s not necessarily a tell that the team is running with him on the field. Still, if the Bears bring Sims back, they have to expect to get a better return on their investment.

The Bears charged into the offseason by hiring coach Matt Nagy to replace John Fox, a move that triggered a slew of other staff changes in January. After Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis on Feb. 4, it won’t be long before league business heats up again.

Here’s a rundown of meaningful dates and deadlines that make up the Bears’ 2018 offseason calendar.

(Rich Campbell)

Shaheen, the fifth tight end drafted in a good class for the position, was used sparingly at the start of the season. Learning the playbook was an adjustment and there’s so much involved with the position because of the responsibilities as a pass catcher, pass blocker and, of course, run blocker. The Bears thought Shaheen would be slow to pick up responsibilities run blocking not because he wasn’t willing but because there’s a lot of detail that goes into it. In college, he could block smaller linebackers and other players effectively because he was so much bigger and stronger. He needed to understand and execute angles and was able to do that. His playing time gradually increased and topped out at 46 snaps in the Nov. 19 game vs. the Lions. In all, he played 24.2 percent of the time (239 snaps). He wound up being targeted only 14 times but was very productive with 12 catches for 127 yards and three touchdowns. A chest injury suffered in the Dec. 10 victory at Cincinnati sidelined him for the final three games.

Miller was the most active tight end in the passing game but he still was limited to 35 targets (20 catches, 236 yards, two touchdowns) in eight games. He also wound up with 314 snaps, second for the position despite missing half the season.

The loss of Miller led to Ben Braunecker being promoted from the practice squad but the biggest change was a spike in playing time for Brown, who wound up third for the position with 241 snaps. Although he inherited Miller’s spot, he didn’t get a ton of action with 20 targets, 13 catches and 129 yards. Although it has been reported multiple places Brown will be an exclusive rights free agent, that is not accurate. He will be a restricted free agent because he has three accrued seasons.

Free agency/draft priority: The Bears could evaluate this position and make it a spot they would like to add to via free agency. It’s unlikely Miller returns and I doubt Brown is tendered an offer as an RFA because the low level tender was $1.797 million last year. Figure that bumps up a little bit and that makes it unlikely. Now, perhaps the Bears would like Brown back but, again, it’a unlikely at that amount. Shaheen is a Y tight end and it could be the Bears want to pair him up with an F tight end who could be a younger (hopefully more durable) version of Miller. The guy that makes a lot of sense to me is Trey Burton of the Eagles, the tight end that threw the touchdown pass to quarterback Nick Foles in Super Bowl LII. If the Bears buck up for a tight end in free agency again, that certainly would increase odds that Sims does not return.

Change in coaching staff means: It will be interesting to see if the Bears pursue an F tight end that would round out the group that is currently under contract for 2018. Of course, the Bears need to make a determination if Sims is a fit moving forward because they also have to expand the role of Shaheen in the new offense. If the Bears choose to release Sims, they would take a cap hit of only $666,667, but this will not be a cap-driven decision. It’s about fit. The Bears had a respected tight ends coach in Frank Smith the last three seasons but have replaced him with a solid option in Kevin Gilbride, the son of the longtime offensive coordinator with the same name. Gilbride was with the Giants for the last eight seasons and spent the previous four as their tight ends coach, helping develop Evan Engram last season when he led all rookie tight ends in with 64 receptions and 722 yards.

Bottom line: Much more was expected from this group in terms of pass catching production in 2017. The Bears have to do better than 98 targets, 60 catches, 672 yards and six touchdowns from the group as a whole. It’s probably safe to say the team will find a way to better highlight this group in the passing game in 2018 when Shaheen (and perhaps a newcomer) will emerge as cogs in the passing game for Mitch Trubisky. The future should be bright at this position.